Thursday, March 17, 2011

3rd month of 2011 already? Whew!








Au nuitaka ni toso vinaka tiko na qaravi Kalou! (I hope you are well in the Lord!)

By the way - Happy belated Pi day and St. Patrick’s Day! (I miss celebrating those holidays back home!) Meanwhile, I have so enjoyed being back in the comforts of my flat and home church here. While my roommate Lavenia has been busy spending time in the villages of the interior bush doing EE work, I have been busy in our local community with ministry. It has been nonstop these past few weeks.

Here’s what my weekly routine has been like:
Monday – administration/organization/office work (spending time at the internet cafĂ©) & running errands
Tuesday – house visitations to fellowship with and encourage youth members
Wednesday – math tutoring and teach Kids Cell & Adult Cell
Thursday – house visitations to share the Gospel (OJT)
Friday – youth gathering
Saturday – youth EE class at the flat
Sunday – all day church (morning service, lunch, afternoon service)


I really look forward to Wednesday afternoon when I lead the Kids Cell with one of my close girlfriends, Manaini. The cell consists mostly of the kids from the nearby villages as well as a few who attend our church. I have so much fun teaching the songs, playing games, and being able to share about God’s Word. We have even started Kid’s EE with them. Each week I challenge them to share about Jesus to a friend or family member. When I asked them who shared, one small Fijian girl name Wainikiti raised her hand. She said, “Teacher Sarah I shared to my Indian friend at school and even shared my snacks with her! She prayed to accept Jesus!” I was so encouraged by this little girl and her boldness. I’m very close to her and her family. Whenever she sees me she’ll run and jump into my arms, and she just loves to play with my hair, always saying – “Sarah your hair is so pretty and nice!” haha

The past 2 weeks I have also taught Kid’s EE workshops on Mondays and Tuesdays in 3 of the church districts. Those are definitely long days as teaching a kids workshop uses all your energy, but the Lord sustained me. One lady who attended was a pastor’s wife who is helping her husband take care of an AOG church in the highlands. She spoke at the end of the workshop and even began to cry as she was so blessed by the workshop and excited to equip the Sunday School kids with Kid’s EE and the Gospel. Other participants shared that the workshop taught them how to be more godly as parents, to cherish their children and not underestimate their place in God’s Kingdom, and helped them understand the need to teach children how to witness. I was very moved by their feedback.

Another highlight of my week are Saturday evenings when my roommate La and I lead a Youth EE semester in our flat. It’s an intimate group of 8 people. Just last week we broke up into 2 groups to do an OJT to our neighbors. La and I have been praying over the past few months for the right opportunity to share the Gospel with our neighbors. La took a team to another flat at the back of our compound where 6 people prayed to receive Jesus! My team was able to speak to a young married couple next door to us who have a church background but have been inactive as church goers, so we were able to encourage and revive them in their faith. The husband got choked up as he thanked us for coming to share with them. I knew that God had moved in them while we were there.

Also in the midst of my busyness I have joined the creative thinking team for the South Pacific Youth Missions Conference that will be held in Fiji the first week of May. Thousands of youth will attend the conference from Fiji and another South Pacific island nations. I’m really excited to take part! The team is in charge of creating dances, dramas, and presentations for the conference that are focused on missions. I have fun brainstorming and giving my input as we work as a team to come up with something challenging and inspiring.

Besides local ministry here in Fiji, I have been busy organizing and planning for a mission trip to the Solomon Islands. The EE staff there has requested that I come with a small team to conduct the Island Interns Training I’ve been doing in Fiji. Their youth EE ministry needs a lot of work and the needs of youth over there are great. There’s a lot of preparation and fundraising that needs to be done. I will take a small team there in August for 2 weeks to run a youth camp and youth EE clinic. My roommate will help me lead, and we have chosen 4 young people to join us. We have started to contact different EE churches as we fundraise for our airfare, food, accommodation, transportation, and materials. Next month we are hosting a fundraising dinner for $30/person where there will be a presentation and special performances. The cost per person for this trip is $1,500 FJD = about $800 USD. Our first priority is to raise the funds needed for our airfare. Please be praying for our team as there is much to do to carry out this mission trip! And if you are feeling led to support this team financially PLEASE do not hesitate to contact me!

Upcoming Events:
Weekend in an EE village church for a special celebration (Mach 25-27)
Youth EE field worker retreat (April 1-3)
Church Fundraising Presentatioin (April 10)
Solomon Island Fundraising Dinner (April 15)

Prayer Needs:
Energy and perseverance in the midst of busyness
Solomon Island Trip Preparation
Local ministry

I am greatly humbled and blessed by each one of your prayers and support! God is working in so many ways around me. I am seeing lives transformed, people taking the Gospel out, and young people & kids growing more passionate for the Lord. I am continuously in awe of where God has placed me.

II Cor. 10:13 says, “We, however, will not boast beyond the proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the field God has assigned to us, a field that reaches even to you.” – This is exactly how I feel! I love how Paul describes it. I hope that the field God has assigned to me is reaching you in an encouraging and inspiring way because through YOU this field has been blessed.

If you would like to renew your monthly support or give additional financial support please see the info below. Also I have attached the monthly support renewal forms.

Ways to Support:
Online - www.eeworks.org
*Click on "Ways to Support" then "Online Giving"
*Type "Sarah Abadines 6124" in the box provided
*Type in amount and complete the given instructions

Make checks out to Evangelism Explosion International and on memo line write "Sarah Abadines 6124" (all checks tax deductible)
Mail to:
Evangelism Explosion International
P.O. Box 23820
Fort Lauderdale, Fl 33307-3820